Up for the Cup

Just a few hours before the venue for the 2018 World Cup is announced with lots of UK media types on a jolly to Zurich with Willie Windsor and Dukes Dave and David lobbying FIFA on behalf of England.

The big worry this week is that our chances may have been scuppered by the BBC Panorama programme on Monday alleging all sorts of corruption by the deciding officials, not to mention FIFA’s demands for tax-free status for the duration. Lots of media talk and public opinion saying they shouldn’t have broadcast the programme just before the decision and waited until after or shown it well before.

The obvious point about the much earlier showing is that Panorama is a current events programme so timing it for the week of the announcement does what it says on the tin. And if they waited until after, the cry would have been; “Why the hell didn’t you tell us they were a bunch of crooks before we committed to this?”

Of course the officials aren’t going to be too pleased with us if the allegations are untrue, but neither would they be if they were guilty. However, the BBC would have been remiss if they hadn’t told us of their strong suspicions.

What gets me though is the hypocrisy of the media and some of the public. The general consensus seems to be that the BBC should keep its mouth shut if it means we can get to host the tournament, even though it could be us who end up footing the bill for corruption, either as taxpayers or spectators.

Compare that with the reaction to MPs’ fiddled expenses story.

I really hope that we get the competition in eight years time as long as it doesn’t involve any bribes, subsidising FIFA or their officials selling tens of thousands of tickets on the black market.

UPDATE: Phew, so it’s gone to Russia, but at least it’s the one country we can be absolutely sure would never try to bribe anyone.

Nobody’s prefect. If you find any spelling mistakes or other errors in this post, please let me know by highlighting the text and pressing Ctrl+Enter.

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As Hull had already unfairly been knocked off the list of England host venues for 2018, I’m not that bothered. What this whole business has done is to throw into relief that a shower of self-seeking, expenses hungry, undemocratic, corrupt sons of bitches populate the opulent offices of FIFA. I don’t believe I will ever see the World Cup back in England in my lifetime. The Russian mafia will be rubbing their hands with glee tonight.